GrubHub delivery robots have taken over SVSU

Dining Services’ new GrubHub robots have taken campus by storm, and we’ve all had our run-ins with them — sometimes, literally. While the robots are undeniably convenient, they aren’t without their flaws.

Within the first three days of operation, they had already attempted to take out my shins on my way to class. The robots use a stop-and-start maneuver that leads to them getting in the way more often than not, despite their mechanics “thinking” they’re doing something right.

The robots also seem confused when they encounter unfavorable situations. The rain has proven to be quite the opponent for them, as well as the woodchips outside of the Cardinal Café. 

The pipeline from getting stuck in the mud to giving up and spinning in circles can’t be too long. With more use over time, I’m certain the bots will fall into the mad hysterics of every robot world-domination movie. 

I’m joking, but the point still stands: if the robots are already struggling with navigation, how will they act after years of use? Will repairs be enough to maintain their mechanical integrity?

All of this said, the robots aren’t all bad. They are convenient when students want food but don’t want to walk ten minutes across campus from their dorms to go to the Cardinal Café or Papa John’s and then make the trip back. 

So far, none of the robots have been hit by cars (as far as I know), and when they’re not turning up mud in a vain attempt to escape dirt-induced captivity, some could say they’re competent. 

I, however, am not of that opinion. I actually hold a strong grudge against those robots, which leads to my next point: failure to deliver. 

Let’s set the scene. It’s the evening, around six, and I’m in my dorm on the west side of University Village. I see a robot rolling along the sidewalk, and an idea comes to mind — there’s still an hour until the Cardinal Café closes, and I still haven’t tried the delivery service yet. 

My roommate and I both order food, and the first sign of annoyance is realized when my roommate’s delivery is canceled. Well, that’s alright. My order hasn’t been canceled, so not all hope is lost. 

GrubHub tells me that my delivery is on the way, but when I open the tracker, I see that the robot hasn’t even left the Cardinal Café. Minutes pass. Eventually, GrubHub tells me that I have ten minutes to go outside and retrieve my order from the robot. I feel a glimmer of hope. 

The only problem with that is that there is no robot outside, and the glorified cooler-on-wheels hasn’t even left the cafe.

I went to bed hungry out of spite and decided from then on to never trust the campus robots again. 

Maybe I should have conducted more than one trial before deciding that the entire system was erroneous, but my grudges outweigh my sense. My roommate was refunded for her canceled order, but I was still out seven dollars. 

How to battle the problems faced by the robots? Better human supervision could be a start. If specific people handled the orders and made sure they were sent on their way, there would be less mistakes. As for the issue of the robots getting in the way, there probably isn’t a solution.

The GrubHub robots have brought new inconveniences to campus, but they are also making some students’ lives easier. I am not one of those students, though, and for now, the robot population will have to earn my approval.